Automobile drying installation



A ril 16, 1963 M. M. HURST 3,035,351

AUTOMOBILE DRYING INSTALLATION Original Filed May 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 3 W L l8 i L1 25 ZZN I924 ne g 20 i y 2.1 24 i 23- v. 25

' INVENTOR.

MOWATT M. HURST April 16, 1963 M. M. HURST 3,085,351

= AUTOMOBILE DRYING INSTALLATION Original Filed May 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

MOWATT M HURST BY United States Patent 3,085,235 4 AUTOMOBILE DRYING INSTALLATION Mowatt M. Hurst, 946 Bransten Road, San Carlos, Calif.

Original application May 10, 1956, Ser. No. 583,994, new Patent No. 2,904,894, dated Sept. 22, 1959. Divided and this application July 29, 1959, Ser. No. 830,305

3 Claims. (Cl. 34-429) This invention relates to automobile drying installations and more particularly to novel means for mounting and controlling air discharge nozzles for drying the outer surfaces of an automobile. This application is a division of copending application Serial No. 583,994, filed May 10, 1956, now Patent No. 2,904,894.

In prior art installations air discharge nozzles have been mounted alongside and above a path along which an automobile is adapted to be moved in order to dry the surfaces of the automoible. It has been found that to do an adequate job of drying in a short time in this manner the nozzles must be positioned relatively close to the surface to be dried. V

In order to so position the nozzles with respect to the varying contour of an automobile hood, top, and trunk deck, some prior devices have mounted rollers rigid with the nozzle to guide it over the upper surfaceof the vehicle. One major fault of such an installation results from the rollers picking up water and leaving unsightly streaks on the surfaces of the vehicle. Also, in such cases the rollers are required to support the rather large weight of the nozzle and appended duct work and therefore may damage aerials, ornaments, and the like on the automobile.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide means for drying a vehicle that overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

Another object of this invention is the provision of improved means for guiding an air discharge nozzle over the surfaces of an automobile to be dried by the air blast from such nozzle.

Still another object of this invention is the provision.

or means in an automobile drying installation for detecting the contour of the automobile during drying.

'It is yet another object of this invention to provide an automobile dryinginstallation in which the air discharge nozzles are supported relatively near the surfaces to be dried and yet quickly and accurately respond to changes in the shape of such surfaces. 1

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevational view and partial vertical sectional view of the automobile drying installation of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the installation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken gen-.

erally along line 33 of FIG. 1, and showing the details of the rotating duct connection;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 2, of a "odified form of side nozzle. f .1

In detail, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the installation of this invention comprises a main air duct 1 for conducting air under pressure in the direction of arrowv'2 from an air source (not shown) to the plurality of branch ducts 3, 4, 5. Duct 3 leads to a point above and ducts 4, 5 to points on opposite sides of a vehicle path of travel designated by the arrow 6 in FIG. 1. As in a conventional installation, a vehicle 7 is adapted to be moved along this horizontal path of travel by a tow chain 8 (FIG. 2) or the like and' with the wheels of said vehicle confined in the customary tracks 9.

An air discharge nozzle 10 is mounted at the end of a vertically movable duct 11 for discharging air on the upwardly directed surfaces of automobile 7. The end of duct 11 remote from nozzle 10 is provided with an elbow rotatably secured to duct 3 so that duct 11 will be swingably in a vertical plane thereby mounting nozzle 10 for movement toward and away from said upward sur faces of said vehicle. Likewise a pair of side nozzles 12, 13 are mounted at the ends of ducts 14, 15 which are provided with elbows at their opposite ends rotatably secured to ducts 4, 5, respectively. By this structure noz zles 12, 13 are adapted to discharge air against the sides of vehicles 7 and are mounted for movement toward and away from said vehicle.

A cross section of a representative coupling between ducts 14, and 4, 15 and 5, and 11 and 3, is shown in FIG. 3 and generally designated 16. Coupling 16 is shown in FIG. 3 as connecting ducts 14- and 4 and comprises a sleeve extension 17 secured to the end of duct 14 in axial extension thereof. A flange 18 on duct 4 carries a sleeve housing 19 axially secured thereto, which housing is provided with an annular race 20 which receives a plurality of ball bearings 21. Balls 21 provide the bearing surface in which the extension 17 is journalled for rotation and on either side of said ball bearings are a pair of flexible sealing lips 22, 23. Annular lips 22, 23 may have a generally L-shaped cross section with one leg thereof secured to housing 19 by means of clips 24. The re mainder of sealing lips 22, 23 extend angularly into engagement with the outer periphery of sleeve 17 and may be held in said engagement by flexible rings such as coil springs 25. The combination of lips 22, 23 and ball bearings 21 thereby provides both a bearing surface for rotatably mounting the nozzle ducts with respect to the fixed branch ducts and also forms an air seal between the two.

/ Especially in the case of ducts 14, 15 it may be desirable to provide an outboard arm'26 (FIG. 1) rotatably mounted in a fixed bearing 27. Arm 26 and bearing 27 may act both an an axial stabilizer and as a thrust bear In the case of both top nozzle 10 and side nozzles 12, 13 it is desirable that the nozzles should be positioned a predetermined distance away from the surface of the vehicle in order to provide the maximum drying effect from the air blast discharged by said nozzles. In the case of side nozzles 12, 13 this may be done relatively easily by mounting a pair of large, soft rubber rollers 30, 31 on opposite sides of each of said nozzles 12, 13. Rollers 30', 31 are journalled between brackets 32 affixed to each of said nozzles 12, 13 with the axis of said rollers generally vertical and parallel to the elongated side nozzles.

An arm 33 (FIG. 2) is secured to the end of each movable side duct 14, at the end thereof adjacent coupling 16. Arms 33 are in effect cranks for urging ducts 14, 15 and thereby nozzles 12, 13 toward the vehicle 7 by means of low pressure air cylinders 34 which have their piston rods connected to arms 33. An air input line '35 leads from a low pressure air source (not shown) through pressure regulators 36 to one end of cylinders 34 to cause said cylinders to urge ducts 14, 15 oppositely inwardly toward vehicle 7. A valve 37 may be placed input line '35 for the purpose of regulating the low pressure air.

As vehicle 7 approaches side nozzles 12, 13 it will first contact rollers 31 thereby pushing said side nozzles outwardly against the urgency of cylinders 34 and will hold the nozzles in the correct position relative to the sides of the vehicle. When the vehicle has traveled past nozzles 12, 13 rollers 30 will hold said nozzles out of contact with the vehicle surfaces.

In some cases a relatively wide vehicle or one that has been deformed will be towed through the drying predetermined distance from the upper surface of the vehicle to be dried is somewhat more complicated for the following reasons. In the first place nozzle must move through a greater range of distances in order to .follow the changing contour of the upper surfaces of vehicle 7. An attempt to support nozzle 10 in the manner described for side nozzles 12, 13 is impractical because of the relatively large weight of nozzles 10 and duct 1 1 which must be supported. Hence, it has been found desirable to support nozzle 10 for movement toward and away from the upper surfaces of a vehicle 7 by some raising and lowering means.

In the form shown in FIG. 1 nozzle 10 is supported by means of a pair of chains 40, 41 depending from the end of piston rods of a pair of vertical air cylinders 42, 43. Cylinder 42 is a short stroke cylinder whereas cylinder 43 is a long stroke cylinder, for a purpose to be described. Said cylinders are single acting cylinders and are connected by means of lines 44, 45 to separate threeway valves 46, 47. Valves 46, 47 are each connected to a source of compressed air (not shown) by means of lines 48, 49 for conducting air therefrom to cylinders 42, 43 when the plungers 50, 51 of said valves are actuated. Plungers 50, 51 are spring urged outwardly and valves 46, -47 open to atmospheric exhaust in this position.

Pivotally mounted on duct 11 are a pair of integrally connected feeler or detector arms 52, 53. Said arms extend to positions spaced downwardly from the open discharge end of nozzle 10 and on opposite sides thereof in the direction of movement of vehicle 7. At their lower ends arms 52, 53 are provided with small rubber contact wheels 54, 55 for contacting the upwardly directed surfaces of vehicle 7.

On the opposite sides of pivot 56, which swingably mounts arms 52, 53 to duct L1, is a valve actuating cam 57 which is integral with said arms and swings there- 'with. Arms 52, 53 and nozzle 10 are originally set so that wheel 54 will first contact the hood of a vehicle 7 as it approaches. As the vehicle progresses through the drying installation and the contour of the hood rises, arm 52 detects the rise and swings upwardly in response thereto. This movement causes cam 57 to swing downwardly into engagement with plunger 50 of valve 46 thereby conducting air to cylinder 42 to raise nozzle 10. If the rise in the contour in the upper surface of vehicle 7 should be relatively rapid, as for instance in the location between the hood and the top of the vehicle, arms 52 will swing cam 57 sufficiently to contact plunger 51 on valve 47 thereby bringing long stroke cylinder 53 into operation to more rapidly raise nozzle 10.

As the upper surface contour of the vehicle drops off toward the rear thereof, arm 53- will take over the control from arm 52 and as wheel 55 drops down the rear vehicle contour, cam 57 will swing upwardly out of engagement with plungers 50, 51 thereby exhausting cylinders 42, 43 through valves 46, 47. In this manner nozzle 10 will drop of its own weight thereby maintaining the correct distance from the upper surface of the vehicle.

By the structure thus shown and described only the very light weight of wheels 54 and 55 and arms 52, 53 are supported on the vehicle 7. The movement of said arms in response to the changing contour of the upper vehicle surface is immediately transmitted to the raising and lowering cylinders 42, 43 thereby maintaining the nozzle 1% at the most efficient distance from the surface to be dried. In addition, wheels 54, 55 may be made relatively small so as to not interfere with ornaments and the like on the vehicle or cause unsightly streaks or marks in traveling over the upper surface of said vehicle.

A modification of the side nozzle structure is shown in FIG. 4 in which a duct 32 having an air discharge nozzle 83 at one end thereof mounted for swinging in a horizontal plane toward and away from vehicle 7 about the other end of said duct. Said other end of said duct is provided with an eccentric arm 84 connected to the piston rod of the low pressure air cylinder 85. Cylinder 85 is provided with air from a low pressure source (not shown) through line '86 and valve 87. The action of cylinder 85 is to urge nozzle 83 inwardly toward the side surface of the vehicle 7 against which said nozzle discharges air for drying the same.

It will be noted that in so discharging air against the vehicle surface, a reaction effect is created tending to push nozzle 83 outwardly away from vehicle 7. By correctly setting valve 87 this reaction effect can be balanced by the force applied by cylinder 85 so that nozzle 83 will remain spaced a predetermined distance from the surface being dried.

It has been found that as a surface to be dried approached a nozzle 83 issuing air, there is an increased reaction effect between the nozzle and the surface tending to urge the nozzle away from the surface. This increased effect when balanced by the force of cylinder 85 automatically positions the nozzle the correct distance from the. surface for the most efficient drying. It will also be obvious that exhausting cylinder 35 so that the same .applitm no force to arm 84 will result in duct 82 and nozzle 83 swinging outwardly from vehicle 7 in a manner similar to that resulting from the high pressure system of FIG. 2.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated indetail, such is not to be taken as restrictive thereof, since it is obvious that modification could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

'Iclaim:

1. In an automobile drying installation having a path of travel along which autom obiles are adapted to move, a pair of rigid air ducts on opposite sides of said path, air discharge nozzles mounted on one end of each of said ducts for discharging air oppositely inwardly against the sides of an automobile in said path, means pivotally mounting said ducts for swinging about generally vertical axes for moving said nozzles toward and away from said sides, and independently operable means connected to each of said ducts and applying a substantially constant force thereto to yieldably urge said nozzles oppositely inwardly just sufiicient to counterbalance the tendency of said nozzles to move oppositely outwardly when spaced slightly from said sides of said automobile.

2. In an automobile drying installation having a path of travel along which automobiles are adapted to move, a pair of rigid ducts, vertical pivot means mounting said ducts on opposite sides of said path for swinging oppositely inwardly and outwardly, a vertically elongated air discharge nozzle on-the end of each said duct remote from said pivot means for discharging air against the outwardly directed surfaces of an automobile in said path, low v pressure air cylinder means connected to each of said ducts for swinging the same oppositely inwardly, and means for connecting a source of high pressure air to said cylinder means for swinging said duct-s oppositely outwardly.

3. In an automobile drying installation having a path of travel along which automobiles are adapted to move, a pair of air discharge nozzles, mean-s mounting said noz- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lathrop Oct. 4, Rousseau Apr. 20, Bonneau Sept. 4, Burnett Oct. 2, Anderson Aug. 23, 

1. IN AN AUTOMOBILE DRYING INSTALLATION HAVING A PATH OF TRAVEL ALONG WHICH AUTOMOBILES ARE ADAPTED TO MOVE, A PAIR OF RIGID AIR DUCTS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PATH, AIR DISCHARGE NOZZLES MOUNTED ON ONE END OF EACH OF SAID DUCTS FOR DISCHARGING AIR OPPOSITELY INWARDLY AGAINST THE SIDES OF AN AUTOMOBILE IN SAID PATH, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID DUCTS FOR SWINGING ABOUT GENERALLY VERTICAL AXES FOR MOVING SAID NOZZLES TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SIDES, AND INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLE MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID DUCTS AND APPLYING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT FORCE THERETO TO YIELDABLY URGE SAID NOZZLES OPPOSITELY INWARDLY JUST SUFFICIENT TO COUNTERBALANCE THE TENDENCY OF SAID NOZZLES TO MOVE OPPOSITELY OUTWARDLY WHEN SPACED SLIGHTLY FROM SAID SIDES OF SAID AUTOMOBILE. 